The present invention is generally related to a method and apparatus for monitoring characteristics of a tire in a vehicle.
Systems have been developed to monitor a characteristic such as tire pressure of a vehicle and to report the characteristic to a receiver at a central monitoring station using radio transmissions. A monitor is located at each tire and periodically takes a measurement of the tire characteristic. The monitor then transmits the results of the measurement in a radio frequency transmission to the central monitoring station which produces an alarm or a display in response to the measurement.
One problem with such systems has been the need to program the location of the transmitters at the central station. To be fully useful, the tire characteristic data is preferably associated with the tire which originated the measurement when presenting a display or alarm. Each monitor includes identification information which can be transmitted with the measurement. The tire monitor is preferably activated to produce this information and the information is then conveyed to the central station and associated with the position of the tire.
In one technique, the tire monitors each include a reed switch or other magnetic device. A magnet is passed near the reed switch, causing the monitor to transmit a radio frequency transmission that includes identification data. A service technician repeats this process at each wheel and then loads the identification and position information into the central monitoring station. Another method provides a printed bar code on each tire monitor which contains the identification information and which may be read with a suitable bar code reader.
These previous techniques have been limited in effectiveness. The magnetic programming technique may be subject to interference and crosstalk, for example in a factory where many such tire monitors are being assembled with tires and vehicles. The bar code label system requires a label at each tire which can be lost or become dirty or illegible.
A further limitation of these techniques is the manual operation requiring activation by a service technician. A system is desired which automatically conveys wheel position data to the receiver. Such a system would be particularly useful after any change in tire position, such as tire rotation or replacement of a tire.
The present invention is directed to an improved remote tire pressure monitoring system which is readily programmable. By way of introduction only, in one embodiment, each tire monitor includes a switch which is activated by detection of a relatively low frequency signal transmitted from a nearby exciter. In response to the low frequency signal, the detector transmits tire characteristic data including identification information. The identification information is received at the exciter and subsequently loaded into the receiver of a vehicle. This reduces radio frequency interference and crosstalk. The exciter may be manually operable or automatically controlled, which permits automatic tire pressure monitor position programming.
The foregoing discussion of the preferred embodiments has been provided only by way of introduction. Nothing in this section should be taken as a limitation on the following claims, which define the scope of the invention.